Jeremy Barnett
Executive Vice President, The Sam Tell Companies
The first time Jeremy Barnett stepped onto a job site in the foodservice world, he wasn’t there to lead a meeting. He was there to install equipment.
At the time, it wasn’t part of a grand plan. After more than a decade in telecommunications and data networking, Jeremy had been laid off from a Fortune 500 company. A friend who owned a small foodservice dealership asked if he could help out on a few jobs while he figured out what came next.
What was meant to be a temporary detour became an 18-year journey.
Today, Jeremy is Executive Vice President at The Sam Tell Companies, one of the largest foodservice dealers in the country. The story of how he got there says as much about the industry as it does about him.
Learning the business from the inside out
Jeremy didn’t enter the foodservice world through a corner office. He entered it through the work itself.
He installed equipment.
Then he ran installations.
Then he moved into project management.
Then purchasing.
Then contract sales.
Each role taught him a different part of how this complex ecosystem works, from how equipment gets specified, to how designs become drawings, to how everything must come together for a restaurant or hospitality space to open on time.
In each stage of his journey, he embraced the willingness to step into whatever the business needed next and to understand how every part connected to the rest. Over time, that hands-on experience became one of his greatest strengths. It allows him, even in an executive role, to operate both at a high level and in the details that ultimately determine whether a project succeeds.
A business built on coordination
To outsiders, foodservice equipment might look like a collection of products. To people inside the industry, it looks very different.
Every project is a web of interdependencies: architects, chefs, contractors, designers, installers, service teams, and manufacturers all working against tight timelines and real-world constraints. Equipment has to fit, drawings have to align, and millwork and plumbing have to match what arrives on site.
Jeremy’s role sits right in the middle of that complexity. He oversees the engineered equipment side of the business, coordinating teams that turn ideas and designs into spaces that work seamlessly.
It’s one of the reasons he speaks so often about standardization, reliability, and trust. In a world where so many things are already complex, finding partners and products that simply work well makes everything else easier.
Falling in love with the industry
What stands out most when you listen to Jeremy talk isn’t just what he does. It’s how he feels about it.
He often talks about wanting people to catch the bug the way he did, to fall in love with the industry, not just show up for a job. He sees foodservice not as a niche, but as a place where careers are built, where people grow, and where teams stay for decades.
There’s a reason Sam Tell has so many long-tenured employees. Jeremy believes deeply in giving people the space to learn, to make mistakes, and to become better in the process. He’s open about being a perfectionist, but also about the importance of delegation and trust as teams grow.
His leadership style is rooted in something simple but powerful: show up, be honest, and do what you say you’re going to do. And if you fall short, say so.
Relationships at the center
In foodservice, relationships are not a side effect of the work. They are the work.
Jeremy talks often about the relationships between dealers, manufacturers, consultants, and service teams. When Sam Tell specifies a product, it isn’t just a line on a drawing. It’s a recommendation that carries real responsibility.
It’s a promise that this choice will hold up when the kitchen is busy, when the café is full, and when a school is serving hundreds of students. It’s about trust that’s built over time and experience.
“When hydration solutions are part of a design, Vivreau is frequently our starting point and spec. The performance of the water dispenser system, along with the reliability and service partnership, makes it a choice we trust.”
— Jeremy Barnett, EVP The Sam Tell Companies
A company that lets people lead
Jeremy often speaks with gratitude about Sam Tell itself, not just for what the company does, but for how it lets people be themselves inside it.
There was no formal management playbook he followed. Instead, Sam Tell gave him the freedom to lead in a way that matched who he was: direct, transparent, people-focused, and deeply committed to doing the work well.
That support allowed him to grow, and to help others grow with him.
Why it all matters
Foodservice may not always be visible, but it touches daily life in countless ways. Behind every restaurant and hospitality space is a network of people making sure everything works the way it should.
Jeremy Barnett is one of those people. After nearly two decades in the industry, he still speaks about it with the energy of someone who has never stopped learning or caring about the work.
And that, perhaps, is what leadership in this industry really looks like.
Thank you, and a note from Vivreau
We are grateful to Jeremy for taking the time to share his story and his perspective on the industry. Behind every water tap, every kitchen, and every hospitality space are people who care deeply about getting it right.
Our Leadership and Client Spotlight series is our way of celebrating those people and organizations. We look forward to continuing to share these stories and to building a stronger, more connected community across the industry together
Selected Hospitality Projects by The Sam Tell Companies
These featured projects — Confidant Brooklyn, Virgin Hotels New York City, and Printemps New York — reflect the scale, complexity, and collaboration behind every successful hospitality space delivered by The Sam Tell Companies.
